Chrome, Android will remain separate: Google chairman

Google chairman Eric Schmidt on Thursday said that the company doesn’t plan to integrate Chrome and Android operating systems into one product.

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NEW DELHI: Google chairman Eric Schmidt said that the company doesn't plan to integrate Chrome and Android operating systems into one product.

"The two serve different purposes and will remain different products," Schmidt said at Google's Big Tent event in Delhi.

Earlier Google handed over the control of Android team to Sundar Pichai, who also heads Chrome division, leading to speculation that the company is planning to integrate Chrome and Android into one product.

At the Big Tent event, Schmidt talked about various issues.

He apologized for non-availability of Nexus devices, which run the unmodified version of Android and is directly serviced by Google, in India.

"I apologise for the lack of Nexus devices in India... But this is something we are working on. Part of the problem is that our products are more expensive than what they should be here in India. Then there are certification issues. We want a fully-serviced market," he said without elaborating the company's plans to launch the devices.

Commenting on India's internet scene he said that the company's virtual world looks like what the US had in 1994. He said that there was enormous opportunity to grow and that India should invest in fiber lines to bolster its communication infrastructure.

"The telecom industry here is under-capitalized. I feel you should run fiber-optic cables under every road," he said.

Schmidt also denied that he was leaving Google. After he decided to sell 42% of Google shares that he held, there were rumours that he was planning to leave the company. "No, I am not leaving. Google is my home," he said. He added that he was not looking for any government role.